Christmas Wishes

Simple, Yet

Priceless

  Gigi Tchividjian

                                            

Have you ever wondered how that first Christmas Eve might have been celebrated?  Let’s look at some of the men and women who were involved, their hearts were right and their gifts were simple. 

• Joseph gave his obedience
• Mary gave her body
• The shepherds gave their adoration
• The wise men gave their worship.

However there were those who missed that first Christmas altogether:

• The innkeeper was too busy with the mundane cares of his guests
• The guests were too concerned with their own comforts and personal affairs
• King Herod was too absorbed with his insecurities and his pathetic dreams of glory.

I’ve been asking myself this past year whether I have also missed Christmas.  Have I been too busy, too preoccupied with lost relationships, hurt feelings or just fear of what tomorrow will bring my way.  Perhaps this year my Christmas lists should read:

• More attention to children because they make us feel so alive with feelings
• More time and appreciation for friends and spouses
• More unconditional acceptance of everything
• A Biblical view of Gods grace and kindness creating in us hearts that are filled with gratitude

Jesus loves us with all our faults, failures and fears.  This year give yourself to God.

• Never give up,
• Never give in and
• Never stop giving.

Explanation of a parable

Traditions Instill a Strong Sense of Identity

 

The Calling

I am a minister. I minister to the largest mission field in the world. I minister to children.
My calling is sure. My challenge is big. My vision is clear. My desire is strong. My influence is eternal. My impact is critical. My values are solid. My faith is tough. My mission is urgent. My purpose is unmistakable. My direction is forward. My heart is genuine. My strength is supernatural. My reward is promised. And my God is real.
In a world of cynicism, I offer hope. In a world of confusion, I offer truth. In a world of immorality, I offer values. In a world of neglect, I offer attention. In a world of abuse, I offer safety. In a world of ridicule, I offer affirmation. In a world of division, I offer reconciliation. In a world of bitterness, I offer forgiveness. In a world of sin, I offer salvation. In a world of hate, I offer God’s love.
I refuse to be dismayed, disengaged, disgruntled, discouraged or distracted. Neither will I look back, stand back, fall back, go back or sit back. I do not need applause, flattery, adulation, prestige, stature or veneration. I do not have time for business as usual, mediocre standards, small thinking, outdated methods, normal expectations, average results, ordinary ideas, petty disputes or low vision. I will not give up, give in, bail out, lie down, turn over, quit or surrender.
I will pray when things look bad. I will pray when things look good. I will move forward when others stand still. I will trust God when obstacles arise. I will work when the task is overwhelming. I will get up when I fall down.
My calling is to reach boys and girls for God. It is too serious to be taken lightly, too urgent to be postponed, too vital to be ignored, too relevant to be overlooked, too significant to be trivialized, too eternal to be fleeting and too passionate to be quenched.
I know my mission. I know my challenge. I also know my limitations, my weaknesses, my fears and my problems. And I know my God. Let others get the praise. Let the church get the blessing. Let God get the glory.
I am a minister. I minister to children. This is who I am. This is what I do.
by Roger Field

Earnest Lee goes to CPC